Eruv: In a town on edge, some Mahwah residents fear speaking out

NorthJersey.com's Kristie Cattafi reports on reaction among residents of Mahwah following a lawsuit by the N.J. Attorney General's office over an alleged discriminatory ordinance against Orthodox Jews.
NorthJersey.com

Slim plastic pipes affixed to a utility pole in Mahwah are part of an eruv, a symbolic boundary that allows Orthodox Jews to perform tasks outside their homes that usually are prohibited on the Sabbath.(Photo: Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com file photo)

MAHWAH — One day after the state filed suit against the township, alleging a parks ban and efforts to prohibit a Jewish religious boundary were discriminatory, residents and town officials reacted with a mix of defiance, approval and accusations of a political conspiracy.

The Record and NorthJersey.com interviewed nearly a dozen Mahwah residents Wednesday and was rebuffed byscores more. Those willing to talk expressed a range of opinions, but all had one thing in common: None would give their name, with many saying they feared retaliation.

Mahwah has been on edge since this summer, when reports first surfaced that a New York Orthodox Jewish group was expanding a religious boundary known as an eruv into town. Township Council meetings have been raucous, and residents have expressed fear that the eruv could signal the beginning of an expansion of Orthodox Jewish communities from New York into Mahwah. Jewish leaders, officials elsewhere in Bergen County and even Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy, meanwhile, have accused the eruv opponents of anti-Semitism.

But one 20-year resident, speaking at the Dunkin' Donuts on MacArthur Boulevard, argued Wednesday that the Township Council was just trying to protect the town.

Township officials need to stand firm, she believes, even if it means some pain for taxpayers – a possibility, as the state is also seeking to reclaim $3.4 million in Green Acres funds.

“I think the town should fight it or they’ll lose their longtime residents,” she said while having coffee with a friend.

Over at the State Line Diner, a Jewish couple finishing their lunch echoed the woman's sentiments.

The couple, who also would not give their names, said they lived in Rockland County for 28 years before moving to Mahwah two decades ago.

"We watched what happened in Rockland to the schools and the town. It's just horrible, " said the woman.

Some residents have voiced concerns over a possible population explosion — as seen in some Rockland County towns where there are ultra-Orthodox communities — that could lead to issues with the school system, high-density housing and overcrowding.

“It’s very difficult to talk about because our religion is about morals and ethics, but that fraction of our religion is unethical," said the woman's husband. "I’ve been sick over the whole thing since it started.”

If protecting the town and its current residents means a financial hit, they said, so be it.

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An explanation of the Orthodox Jewish custom of an eruv.
Wochit

Others disagreed, however. One woman coming out of the State Line Diner Wednesday afternoon said she felt the town was being too aggressive. She said she was in favor of the state suing the town and was fearful of what would happen if the township has to repay the Green Acres funding.

Another woman interviewed Wednesday said the whole situation makes her uncomfortable. No one should be discriminated against for their religious beliefs, she said.

Yet another resident, who also did not want to give his name for fear his opinion would be misconstrued, said Mahwah has always been a welcoming and diverse community. The council's actions, he believes, are not discriminatory.

“The history of what has happened in other communities is alarming for people,” he said.

Tuesday's lawsuit, filed by the state Attorney General's Office, is just the latest salvo in a controversy that has engulfed Mahwah.

In the nine-count complaint, the state alleges that the Township Council has taken various steps to address a feared "infiltration" of Orthodox Jews. Those actions include enacting a ban on non-state residents from visiting the town's parks, issuing directives that the eruv be removed because it violates Mahwah's sign ordinance, and proposing an amendment to its sign regulations that would have outlawed the installation of lechis – half-inch PVC pipes on utility poles that designate the eruv. That amendment was introduced but not adopted.

These efforts, the state argues, are unlawful and unconstitutional.

But local officials hit back Wednesday, claiming the suit is nothing more than a political stunt by Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial election.

“This is just a ploy to get Phil Murphy elected by getting the independent Jewish vote,” Councilman Steve Sbarra said.

Sheila Oliver, Bill Clinton and Phil Murphy are shown during a rally in Paramus on Tuesday.(Photo: Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com)

Murphy, a Democrat, is running for governor against Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. In an op-ed last week, he chided Mahwah residents for creating an “overarching perception of anti-Semitism and discrimination” in its rejection of the eruv.

On Wednesday, Sbarra questioned the lawsuit's timing following the Murphy op-ed.

“This is one of the most frivolous things ever done by an attorney general as a result of political pressure and a personal political agenda,” Sbarra said.

Porrino was nominated to his post by Republican Gov. Chris Christie. The Attorney General's Office declined to comment Wednesday.

Council President Robert Hermansen contended Wednesday that the parks ban and proposed sign amendment were drafted to be neutral and unbiased.

“I find odd that somehow there has been a suit filed against us when not one of us have been interviewed by the attorney general," Hermansen said. "They jumped to conclusions without ever talking to us.”

Criticism of the park ban began with Police Chief James Batelli, who raised concerns that the ban could not be enforced without profiling. Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal agreed, and directed Mahwah police in July not to enforce the ordinance.

The state's investigation launched a week after Grewal's order. As part of the inquiry, township officials were ordered to turn over documents related to the enactment of the ban, including emails, text messages, meeting transcripts and social media posts.

“I think it speaks for itself,” Batelli said of the state’s lawsuit on Wednesday. He declined to comment further.

Councilman David May, who is seeking reelection, said the ban has nothing to do with the Orthodox Jewish community.

“There are Hasidics who live in New Jersey and they’re allowed to use the parks,” May said.